Genesis 24:8

Study note

Setting — Abraham speaks to his servant during the commissioning of a bride-search for Isaac. He stipulates that the mission's requirement carries a built-in contingency for refusal.

The words — The phrase לֹא תֹאבֶה הָֽאִשָּׁה (lo to'beh ha'ishshah) literally means "she will not be willing." It is immediately followed by וְנִקִּיתָ מִשְּׁבֻעָתִי (ve-niqqita mi-shevu'ati), translating to "and you will be free from my oath."

The thread — The concept of oath exemption appears in Joshua 2:17, where parties acknowledge they remain unbound by a sworn agreement. Parallel vow-nullification provisions are recorded in Numbers 30:5 and 30:8 regarding paternal or spousal authority.

Why it lands — The verse explicitly conditions the oath's binding force on the woman's consent, establishing that compliance cannot be coerced. A reader must note that the narrative treats human refusal as a valid trigger for contractual release rather than a violation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.